Fawkes sees improvement in Swale contender Seismic Jolt

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer David Fawkes won the Limehouse here last Saturday with Seismic Jolt, and then took a three-day trip to New Orleans, including a day of fishing on the backwaters just east of the Mississippi River. Par for the course? More or less.

“I usually only take Tuesdays off to go fishing,” said Fawkes, whose favorite spots in the South Florida area are Key Largo and Chokoloskee. “I’m not a seven-days-a-week trainer anymore – I’m not gonna lie.”

Still, you wouldn’t be telling fish tales by saying Fawkes is a better horseman than fisherman. The 59-year-old trainer has an up-and-comer in the 3-year-old sprint ranks in Seismic Jolt, who emerged from the Limehouse in great shape and most likely runs next in the Feb. 2 Swale at seven furlongs. The Kantharos colt earned a career-high 86 Beyer Speed Figure in his 3 1/2-length triumph for owners eFive Racing Thoroughbreds and Stonestreet Stables.

“He looks fabulous and is really improving,” said Fawkes, whose prior stakes winners in a 21-year training career include such notables as Big Drama, Take D’Tour, Duke of Mischief, and Sheer Drama. “I don’t know how far he’ll want to go, but he’s handling everything we’ve asked of him so far.”

Courtney honored again

Acacia Courtney, an in-house television host at Gulfstream since 2016, was named Miss Connecticut in the Miss USA preliminaries Saturday night in Stamford, Conn., and will be a contestant in the national pageant later this year.

Courtney, 26, was named Miss Connecticut in the 2014 Miss America contest. She has been closely involved with horses since a young age and is president of Racing for Home Inc., a shelter for retired racehorses. Courtney returned to work Wednesday at Gulfstream.

X Y Jet a Millions hopeful

X Y Jet is expected to be among the biggest names on the Jan. 19 Sunshine Millions card after the 7-year-old gelding had his fifth workout on the comeback trail last Saturday. Unraced since winning the June 30 Smile Sprint at Gulfstream, X Y Jet will be favored in the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint.

Three other Sunshine Millions events also will be run: the $200,000 Classic, $150,000 Turf, and $150,000 Filly and Mare Turf.